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Paul was a prisoner when he wrote his letter to the Christ-followers of Philippi, a city in the district of Macedonia, located in what is now Greece. The letter is very personal, with Paul saying to his friends in Philippi, “I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:8). He had a desire to visit them again but did not know if it would be possible, so he urged them to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27). Then he encouraged them to imitate the humility of Jesus, using a poetic passage that includes the Greek word kenosis, difficult to translate but often appearing in English as “emptied” (Phil 2:7). Paul understood this tough but captivating word to be at the heart of the Christian faith.
Of course, kenosis is not the only untranslatable word in the world. Think of the French word frisson, the strange intermingling of excitement and fear, or the German word treppenwitz, describing the witty response that comes into your head right after an encounter with someone. Then there are words from Eastern religions such as Nirvana or Tao — we have a sense of what they mean, but there are no perfect English translations. In the magazine Scientific American, Tim Lomas has written about the magic of untranslatable words and has compiled a list of over 600 of them. He has discovered that exploring these foreign terms can make our own lives richer.
Kenosis is one of these words. It means “emptiness” but includes the deeper significance of the self-emptying that Christ performed on the cross. Jesus was “in the form of God” (Phil 2:6), said Paul, but he “didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what” (The Message). Instead, Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross” (Phil 2:7-8). Jesus emptied himself out through kenosis, and the result was that God “highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:9-10).
Self-emptying resulted in exaltation. But how? For Jesus, kenosis led to glory and power because it was based on humility. He was in the form of God but “didn’t think so much of himself” that he couldn’t accept servanthood, an attitude of humility that we don’t often see in leaders today. But President George Washington put effort into being humble, and it helped both him and our country. He was a general during the Revolutionary War, and after achieving victory he laid down his sword — an unusual choice for a conquering general. Some people wanted to make him an American king, but he said no. After serving as president for two terms, he could have sought re-election to a third. Instead, writes David Bobb in his book Humility, “Washington opted to retire. … His ambition, above all else, was to act justly for the sake of others and his country.”
The self-emptying of Jesus was based on both humility and obedience. Paul wrote that “he was in the form of God, [but] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited” (Phil 2:6). Instead of remaining in the safety and security of heaven, Jesus allowed himself to enter human life as a vulnerable baby. “If you want to get the hang of it,” suggested C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity, “think of how you would like to become a slug or a crab.” Jesus said yes to emptying himself and entering human life, and did this out of obedience to God. Paul tells us that “he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death” (Phil 2:8). Because of this choice, God exalted him. The self-emptying of Jesus led to great fullness.
Most of us are not going to be asked to follow Jesus to the point of death on a cross, but we are challenged to show humility and obedience as we walk the path of Christ. Martin Hengel was a great New Testament historian at Tübingen University in Germany, a country in which professors are highly esteemed and put on a pedestal. But Hengel would often have his students come to his home on Friday evenings for meals and discussions. “He wasn’t influential just because he was a brilliant scholar,” says a pastor named John Dickson. “It was the fact that he let people come very close, that he shared his life with them — that humility is what made his influence lasting.” Such a life of kenosis is in line with Jesus, who said, “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matt 20:26). He came “not to be served but to serve” (Matt 20:28).
The good news is that this self-emptying does not lead to embarrassment and powerlessness. Jesus says that “all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:12), an elevation that was seen in the lives of George Washington and Martin Hengel. This passage from Philippians is one of the Bible’s greatest hits, because it uses the word kenosis to teach us that the self-emptying of Jesus, grounded in humility and obedience, is the unexpected key to his heavenly fullness, and is the promise of our fullness as well.
Questions:
1. What does the self-emptying of Christ on the cross mean to you?
2. Where do you see examples of humility and obedience around you?
3. How can you practice service to others, following the guidance of Jesus?
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